Meet The Hawthornes
by three-golden-mockingjays
Summary: '"Looks like we'll have to go back to your house," Madge said, a teasing smile. She wasn't suggesting this in a 'let's-go-have-sex-now' way, no, the reason she was holding back laughter was because Gale was terrified at the thought of showing Madge to his family.' Gale won't let Madge walk home through the Seam in the dark. But that means braving his brothers and bringing her home.
1. Chapter 1

"You can't walk through the Seam after dark!" Gale cried, eyebrows disappearing in his dark fringe at the pure shock of it all. The pure little Mayor's daughter suggesting she could walk home. How naïve.

"Of course I can Gale," Madge said with a toss of her blonde hair, "You underestimate my abilities."

"You don't know the guys who hang out around here. And trust me, you don't want to," Gale shook his head firmly, "No-one is safe walking past that pub at night. No-one. Especially not you."

"Why not me?"

Gale shrugged, "Because you're the Mayor's daughter, and people assume you'd be easy to pick on."

"That's horrid."

"That's the truth," Gale said plaintively, "Also because you're rich. They'd love to get their hands on that watch of yours. And because you're pretty."

"They'd rape me?" Madge spluttered in indignation.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. So naïve," Gale shook his head, and Madge rolled her eyes.

"You think you're superior to me Gale Hawthorne," she said sniffily.

"I think you're far too beautiful and far too rich for your own good, and under-educated in the ways of all the monsters that hang around the Seam at night," Gale said calmly, and Madge's cheeks twitched into a smile at the compliment.

However, she wouldn't be defeated, "Sweet of you Gale, if not a little condescending," she teased him with her smile, "How about you walk me home? Nothing like a good bodyguard."

"I would but uh…" Gale scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, "I kind of got into a fight with some guys up your way and if I were to walk through I we might be targeted."

Madge raised an eyebrow, "Might?"

"We'd be bashed up," Gale said sulkily.

"Well then, what do you suggest we do?"

Gale was stumped there. He had just point blank refused to let her go home. But they couldn't spend the night in the small clearing next to the fence, for once humming quietly beside them.

"Looks like we'll have to go back to your house," Madge said, a teasing smile. She wasn't suggesting this in a_ let's-go-have-sex-now_ way, no, the reason she was holding back laughter was because Gale was terrified at the thought of showing Madge to his family, and she knew it.

"I'm not that repulsive Gale," laughed Madge, observing the look of horror on his face. He was unrelenting in his opposition to her plan, and so she changed tack, looking dejected instead of teasing, "Are you really ashamed of me? Is it because I'm the Mayor's daughter? Does your family hate Town girls like me?"

"No Madge," he said quickly, "I'm not ashamed of you! My family would love you, my mum would happily adopt you, and my brothers would love you. Not to mention Posy, who I suspect would worship the very ground you walk on. She's slightly girl-deprived."

"So why do you never want to bring me home then?"

Gale looked at the ground in shame, "My brothers will give me a whole lot of shit. And my house is a pigsty compared to yours."

Madge used what she believed to be her superior self control to suppress a laugh, "Gale, I'm coming home with you." She kissed him gently, then grabbed his hand and dragged him forwards.

"Madge!" he laughed, "My house is this way."

* * *

"Here we are," Gale muttered, opening the door. Madge noted they didn't have a lock, but didn't say anything.

"We don't have anything to steal," Gale read her mind.

"At least you don't have to worry about losing keys. Because knowing you, you would lose them."

"Shut up Madge," Gale said lightly, and Madge laughed.

"Gale Hawthorne! You said a bad word!" Posy stood in the doorway, hands on her hips in an imitation of her mother.

"What are you doing awake Poes?" Gale asked, lifting his younger sister into his arms and carrying her into the second room of the house where two rickety old bunk beds and one double bed were all cramped together.

"I can see the girl Gale," Posy pouted, "I'm not stupid."

"Mum will be pleased to hear that," Gale said, as Madge followed them, stopping in the doorway for lack of space in the room. "Where is Mum now that you mention it?"

"Rory and Vick are showing her where the water's leaking in at the back," Posy said with a yawn.

Gale rolled his eyes, "They should tell her water leaks in from everywhere," he grumbled.

"Who's the girl?" Posy was clearly tired, but she was also determined, and as Hazelle always said, a determined Hawthorne woman was nothing to be messed with.

"This is Madge, Posy."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Another one?"

Gale scowled at her, and Posy giggled.

"Come here Madge," Posy demanded suddenly, and Madge did, a bemused smile on her face.

Posy reached out and touched the girl's hair, "Oh Gale! It's so yellow! Look at it! Feel it! It's so soft!"

Madge laughed, "I'd give it to you if I could Posy. But I think your hair is just stunning, it's lovely and black. And it's so long," she ran her hands through it, "You'll be very pretty when you grow up."

"I'm pretty already," Posy amended the blonde, who giggled, "I know you are Posy. Just think about how much more beautiful you'll get!" Madge twisted a few lengths Posy's hair onto the top of her head, left some flowing and pulled out a few strands, "See? Your hair is lovely."

"Thank you Madge," Posy said in a sing-song voice, then yawned, "I have to sleep now. But will you come back and do my hair?" she stage whispered into Madge's ear, "Gale can only do plaits."

"Just plaits?" Madge raised her eyebrows in amusement, "Well that won't do, will it Posy?"

But Posy had already fallen asleep.

"How does she do that?" Madge whispered to Gale, who shrugged, "Come into the kitchen, there's more breathing space in there."

Upon stepping out of the bedroom, Gale halted in his tracks. Madge crashed into his back.

"Hi Ma," Gale said brightly.

"What's going on?"

Madge smirked. Gale took a step back. A determined Madge walked around him, "You must be Gale's mum! I'm Madge! Lovely to meet you."

Madge looked pleased with her self. Gale looked sulky. Mrs Hawthorne looked very amused, "Nice to meet you too Madge! How do you know Gale?"

"She goes to my school," Gale said hurriedly as Rory and Vick entered the room, snickering at the sight before them.

Madge rolled her eyes at him, "I'm his girlfriend."

"Well, you seem lovely, call me Hazelle, by the way," Hazelle wiped her hands on her skirt, "Would you like something to eat Madge?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," Madge said hurriedly, not wanting to be another mouth to feed. Hazelle looked at her suspiciously. "Really, it's almost midnight. I don't need any food."

"Well big brother, you've finally brought one home _before_ you bedded her," Rory walked forward confidently, "You haven't, have you?"

Madge and Gale shook their heads manically. Rory laughed, "Good to hear. Congrats, Gale. And congrats to you too… was it Madge?" he reached out to shake her hand, "Yay for you not being a slag heap girl."

Madge looked taken aback.

"What?" Rory asked innocently, "You can tell by the looks of them!"

"Oh go to bed Rory!" Gale scowled menacingly, and Rory obliged.

"I didn't know you could be so threatening," Madge said with a raised eyebrow.

Gale shrugged, "He's Rory. He requires extreme measures."

"Very funny!" came Rory's voice from the bedroom. Hazelle sighed, "He's going to wake Posy, the stupid kid."

"Hi Madge, I'm Vick," the younger boy said timidly, reaching out a hand, "Um, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Vick," Madge said warmly. This was one Hawthorne that she could handle.

Vick hurried off to bed.

"I have never seen him that shy," Gale mused, "I think he likes you Madge! You should come over more often, you shut him up so well."

"Don't tease Gale," Hazelle chided, and Gale responded in five-year old fashion, "But Ma, he's not even in the room!"

"Gale Hawthorne you know very well that this house is small enough to hear everyone all the time. That's the whole reason you hate it."

"Well there's that, and the draughts, and the leaky ceiling…"

"Which we've fixed!" Hazelle said sharply, "Sorry about this Madge. Uh, will you be staying the night?"

"Gale said it wasn't safe for me to walk the Seam after dark," Madge said awkwardly, "I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing."

"Well Gale's done something right tonight," Hazelle said approvingly, "And he came back before midnight! Madge you should hang around. I think we love you already."

* * *

"Sorry about this Madge," Gale mumbled later on that night from his position on the floor next to the bed, his bed, she was sleeping on.

"No problem," Madge whispered back, "I like it here. Plus, it was a pleasure to finally meet the Hawthornes."

* * *

**Well, there you go. I've been working on that for a while, little bit by little bit, so I'm glad to finally get it up. I love Gale and Madge, and this idea just kind of popped into my head, so tell me what you think of my little one-shot here. I kind of like it, but I feel like it's missing something. Is that just me? -L**


	2. Chapter 2

**Recently, I got a PM from the wonderful fairytaledaydreamer, who told me I should make a sequel of this with our lovely Rory in the same position, and while I wasn't planning on continuing, I thought this was a fantastic idea. So, a sequel to Meet the Hawthornes will come up! **

**Unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure when this will happen. I'm currently in the worst, hardest and longest term of the year, (I MEAN YOU, TERM 2) and I am currently drowning in a sea of homework which doesn't look like it will let up for a while to come. Still, I'm very excited about this idea and hopefully it won't be too long, (I don't REALLY need to do that science homework, do I?)**

**My point is, if you liked this story, keep an eye out for a sequel! Unfortunately I can't give you the title yet, (I have NO idea what it will be,) but if you check on my stories, it will turn up soon enough.**

**I have rambled long enough. GOODBYE MY READERS.**

**-L**


End file.
